New flagpole graces the Veterans Services Office

Friday

Nov 1, 2013 at 10:29 AM

Kevin Dickinson

Just in time for Veterans Day, the Yreka Veterans Service Office has installed a flagpole at its location thanks to the charitable efforts of local veterans."Veterans and their brethren love the American flag, and we worked for a long time to get one at that location," said Sheriff Jon Lopey.The VSO had a permanent flagpole when it operated out of the Yreka Armory, but their present location on Oberlin Road came without the equipment to display the national symbol."That just didn't seem right," Veterans Service Officer Tim Grenvik said.Grenvik purchased the flagpole himself but lacked a base to mount it.That's when Jim Bodnar, a Navy veteran and owner of Yreka Machine Works, stepped in.

Bodnar was approached by Robert Ballesteros, commandant of the Marine Corps League for the Veterans Leadership Council, about the flagpole mount.

"You guys are doing the hard work; let me do this for you," Bodnar said.Bodnar drew up the plans for the mount, and his employees built the fixture. "I just did it because it needed to be done," Bodnar said.The flag now flies in front of the VSO to welcome veterans through its doors."It was a really good thing that he did," Grenvik said, adding, "It's just nice to be able to raise the colors and lower them each day."Explaining the bond between veterans and the American flag, Lopey said, "Veterans have fought and died for our flag since our nation's inception. Our coffins are draped by the flag, and while in combat, I wore the American flag on my uniform every day of the week, month, and year – just like every other sailor, soldier, airman, Marine and Coast Guardsman."